Brexit in Bedford: MPs react to last night’s vote, how will they vote today?

MPs in Bedford Borough have give us their views on the vote last night to accept or reject a new EU deal put on the table by the Prime Minister.

Theresa May’s amended deal was rejected by 149 votes, a slightly smaller margin of disproval than her first deal, but enough to continue the chaos and confusion around Brexit.

Conservative MP, Alistair Burt, who represents North Bedford East Bedfordshire, voted to accept the deal: “I am disappointed at the vote against a deal to leave the EU last night. This represented a good opportunity to fulfil the Referendum result, and also set up a good relationship with the EU for the future.

“This chance was lost through the Labour Party having no coherent policy and putting its own ambition for a general election above national interest, and by a number of Conservatives rejecting the PM’s deal.”

Alistair Burt MP Pic credit: Chris McAndrew

Meanwhile Labour MP for Bedford Borough, Mohammad Yasin, said: “Theresa May’s deal has been voted down twice by a large margin. That is because the withdrawal agreement is a poor offering that would make our country worse off.

“The suggestion that this situation is somehow the fault of the Labour Party is absurd – we are only here at all because of Tory party infighting over Europe, and both the catastrophic failure of these negotiations, together with the PM’s dangerous tactic of running down the clock to force MPs to accept her rotten agreement, have brought about the very real and frightening possibility of us leaving the EU with no trade deal.”

Today MPs will vote on whether the UK should leave the EU without a deal and if Brexit should be delayed until a deal can be reached.

Alistair Burt MP, who campaigned to remain in the EU in the run up to the 2016 referendum, says he’ll be voting to leave the EU on the 29th March but only with a deal.

“The needs of business, employment and citizens’ rights as we leave the EU must now be our foremost concern,” said Mr Burt. “As people must be very angry at where we are with a handful of days to go before we are due to leave the EU. I will continue to oppose leaving the EU without a deal.

“It is plainly now for Parliament to decide. It is not the fault of those who voted to Remain in the Referendum, nor the fault of the EU, that we are where we are today.”

Mr Yasin also agreed that he we must not leave the EU without a deal and would be voting against a no-deal Brexit.

Mohammad Yasin MPPic credit: Chris McAndrew

We have also contacted the office of Nadine Dorries MP (Conservative) whose constituency covers a small part of Bedford Borough but they did not respond by our deadline.

However, in a statement on her Twitter feed last night, Ms Dorries said: “I voted for the deal tonight (12 Mar) because I felt the danger of a No Deal (sic) motion being tabled and then lost, was too high to risk.”

The Bedford Independent is a 21st century news desk for a 21st century Bedford.
We report on the news that matters to the people of Bedford. Holding public officials to account, celebrating achievements, keeping readers informed and inspired.